Fake Flash Memory On Ebay Escalates. SOSFakeFlash Status Report 20091031. Fake Memory Cards, MP3 MP4 Players, USB Flash Drive PenSticks. How To Fight Against Fraud.

Fake (false capacity) flash memory products being sold on eBay continues to grow: usb flash drives, mp3 mp4 players and memory cards.

Covered in this Status Report 20091031:

• Current eBay fake flash seller tactics – The Change
• So how can people fight back? The new strategy.
• Et tu, Brute? Do you wonder why the feedback scores are so high for fake flash sellers?
• The Fight Against Fake Flash Memory Sellers On eBay. Then and Now.
• Current Agenda
• Reference Reading Material

Fraudulent eBay sellers remain defiant and show no signs of stopping or slowing down. eBay does little to prevent sellers from listing false capacity memory advertised at 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB, despite so many complaints from members.

The sale of 16GB fakes remains steady. The escalation in 32GB and 64GB advertised capacity continues at an alarming rate. Some sellers so bold and daring as to list 120GB advertised capacity, a size of flash memory that does not exist. Bits and Bytes math is not the fraudulent sellers concern, snaring consumers searching for unrealistic bargain prices is. Fake flash memory sellers on eBay are only too happy to oblige in providing the phantasies. Only the phantasies soon change to nightmares, once the actual capacity of flash storage chips are exceeded.

SOSFakeFlash has been fighting the issue of fake flash memory sellers publicly on the internet since August 2008. It is an ongoing battle between victims and fraudulent sellers. The seller tactics have changed.

Current eBay fake flash seller tactics:

• Using reserve id’s frequently aged and groomed. Expendable, they have many more waiting in the wings.
• Divide and conquer – using multiple id’s simultaneously to reduce the risk of being shut down.
• Private Auctions – deadly and devious, an attempt to stop other buyers from seeing the items eBay members leave negative feedback for.
• Buy Now – multiple listings to avoid having listings easily spotted. Frequently one “buy now” has anywhere from 100 to 500 fakes sold.
• Offering ridiculous Prices – As low or lower than $1 US to avoid fee’s, compensating with high shipping prices. Objective? To make it more difficult to claim a full refund.
• Rapid Listing – listing around the clock over a few weeks, knowing in advance id’s with low scores will be suspended soon.
• Delayed shipping – often up to 30 days. Objective? Use up the 45 day PayPal dispute period.
• Refund Ransom – demanding negative feedback be revised as a condition of refund.
• Issuing unpaid item strikes – Punitive action against frauded buyers who refuse to change feedback when paypal refunds them.
• Offering bribes – not only offering a refund but extra to victims as an incentive to change their feedback

Quite a few of the new tactics are in direct violation of eBay policies. Fraudulent sellers are aware id’s used will have a limited life span. It is hit and run. List quickly, grab as much money as possible before being caught. Wait a few weeks, use a new id held in reserve. The cycle is endless.

There are not enough eBay victims doing their duty by warning others. eBay limits those who do warn others to only 5 messages a day. If a seller sold 400+ how many members would it take to send those messages? eBay knows this, so do the fake flash sellers.

The most damming action against a fake flash seller is the appearance of negative feedback – they fear it! As it accumulates against them, it spells the begining of the end.

So how can people fight back? The new strategy.

eBay fake flash eBay sellers have adapted to the unpleasant reality of SOSFakeFlash’s existence. We all have to adapt to their recent change in behavior. Failure, will increase instead of decrease victims frauded on eBay. Data and file loss will grow.

To keep pace with fake flash sellers:

We need increased eBay patrol for 16GB, 32GB and 64GB advertised capacity. Your guide is the pricing.

Chose your category: usb pen sticks or mp3 mp4 players or memory cards. Chose 16GB, 32GB or 64GB. Once a week browse listings. Make a list of sellers in notepad and save as a text file. Examine the sellers feedback daily for positive feedback on the items you chose. As soon as you see a positive feedback, contact your fellow eBay member and ask if the item was tested with H2testw to verify the capacity of the memory storage chip. No you are not interfering, you are trying to share eBay buying “experience”, is the item true capacity? The best way to decide if to buy from a seller is to have other buyers who bought the item from a seller tell you it is wonderful! Repeat the procedure for each seller, also add to your text list, the ebay member you contacted with a message.

If an eBay member advises you that the item failed testing:

• rush the victim to report into SOSFAKEFLASH immediately using the Report A Fake Tab.
• have the eBay member assist by contacting others who left positive feedback for the same item
• have the eBay member raise a dispute with paypal.
• have the eBay member understand the need to leave follow up feedback stating the awful truth about the item and include the keyword “SOSFakeFlash” as part of the feedback statement. However, depending on the claim window left and the time limit to add the follow up, have the victim delay.

If an eBay member advises you that the item passed testing, make a note of it in your file. You might just have discovered an honest seller?

Once you have a confirmation on a seller and the information has been send to sosfakeflash, do not continue messages for the seller, let the victims you discovered carry out this task. Use your message allowance wisely.

SOSFakeFlash introduced a zero tolerance policy – only one confirmation is needed. Due the change in fake flash memory seller behavior everyone must move quickly to keep pace with them.

Et tu, Brute? Do you wonder why the feedback scores are so high for fake flash sellers?

One of the things we have been noticing is how some victims use the information at this site, then issue negative feedback to force the seller into refunding. As soon as they get their money back, they change their feedback to positive. On occasion, the wording of the change to positive is disgusting. Changing feedback for refunds leads new victims into the fake flash sellers net.

You should be aware that in the last six months a number of the FrankenFlash Project team have quit, several others have decided to take time off indefinitely. Was it because the work is so demanding and exhausting? No. What is the point in working so hard to warn and help others, only to see those you help, stab future eBay buyers for a seller in the back, deceiving them with the switch to positive?

If you decided to buy from a seller because of all the glowing positive feedback and became a victim of a fake flash seller, now you know why. How does it feel?

SOSFakeFlash asks:

• Are you going to use the information we provide to get a refund and then walk away?
• Will you report in to increase the evidence and counts against these fraudulent sellers for the black lists?
• Will you change your feedback for your money and let others suffer your experience?
• Are you the kind of person who does not let people get away with frauding you?
• Do you want to prevent and reduce the number of eBay members from having your nightmare eBay buying experience?

These questions are important. The answers define you.

The Fight Against Fake Flash Memory Sellers On eBay. Then and Now.

For many months victims have held fake flash memory selling on eBay in check, they reduced it from the “Wild West Of Fake Flash Memory Selling ” seen in the Spring of 2008 and earlier. At that time there were no marshals or sheriffs on patrol and no fake flash angels rescuing others by warning them.

We do not have the answers as to why there is a stampede to sell fake flash memory products on eBay at the moment. We do know why the behavior has changed for the sellers. They don’t want to stop, we are spoiling things, they are being discovered. So they fight harder. That means we all have to fight harder. “We“, really means “You” and the groups in the FrankenFlash project.

If you wonder why no one gets a real flash memory chip more than 2GB or 4GB, at the prices paid, it is simple. There is a shortage for higher capacity chips, especially the good quality ones. Prices are rising for them not decreasing as many think. Fake Flash memory sellers are scraping the bottom of the barrel, grade c and d chips – something to bear in mind if you are considering restoring the fake capacity to real capacity.

The fact that anybody even gets a refund from PayPal these days is the result of so many victims before you who fought not only for themselves but also for future victims. For many of you, things are much easier now. Many of the early victims never got a refund, refusing to cave in by changing feedback. It was the principal and…there was you to consider down the road, the future buyers who would purchase fake flash memory items.

eBay actually will suspend a seller if enough victims complain, it wasn’t always that way. There was a time not so long ago, when eBay simply ignored victims in favor of fake flash memory sellers and the revenue they generated for eBay. It is because so many people fought: victims, the FrankenFlash Project and also very well known brand names for flash memory items, that eBay is now starting to pay attention. eBay will stop paying attention, if YOU stop complaining.

Everyone is invited to contribute, in their own way as they see fit. It can be a short commitment or a longer one. Many people concentrate on their fake flash seller. Some chose to work on fake flash memory sellers not their own – especially if they had a long drag out fight with the seller, to avoid eBay radar.

You the victims, decide if SOSFakeFlash continues to battle against fraudulent sellers selling these dangerous items that destroy data and files.

Current Agenda

Covered:

1. Please patrol eBay.
2. SOSFakeFlash The Calling Card in Feedback
3. Warn Others
4. Your Story
5. Your Website

1. Please patrol eBay.

Use the information in the section: So how can people fight back? The new strategy. to help you. Pounce on any positive feedback for a seller and contact the buyers. SOSFakeFlash now has a zero tolerance policy.

If you see any seller offering this item advertised as more than 8GB you have a 99.99999999% guarantee you have spotted a fake flash seller! It also is offered in brown, white and red.

2. SOSFakeFlash The Calling Card in Feedback

Make sure to leave and have other people leave SOSFakeFlash in their feedback or follow up feedback! It helps victims to get help at our site. It creates fear in fake flash ebay sellers. Putting SOSFakeFlash in feedback is more effective then using a baseball bat on your fake flash seller, it is more productive and less violent too. It is the single most important contribution any victim can make along with stating the real size of the flash memory item sold.

3. Warn Others

If you didn’t like what happened to you, do something. Chose a recent alert article and send a message to a few buyers for the seller. Ask them to test the capacity of the item they bought with H2testw. Testing is a good idea for any flash memory item. It gives the buyer peace of mind it it passes testing and if it does not, makes it clear the item should NOT be used to store files, data or photos. Warning your fellow buyers to check the capacity of the items bought is a community service. It is not violating eBay. It is protecting eBay. It is the right of every member to share buying experience. It is even possible that genuine sellers might be found. It would be welcome news.

4. Your Story

There is nothing better than true stories. See the stories category at this site. Soon SOSFakeFlash will be devoting several weeks to publishing the individual stories of victims. It is your opportunity to share your experience with the global public.

5. Your Website

If you have website space, consider setting up a page where you document your fake and experience. Send the url address to SOSFakeFlashDrive@gmail.com We would be happy to advertise your page and put it in a story. You are most welcome to write in other languages, in fact we would appreciate it if you would write in your own language. It helps to promote the message to your countrymen.

6. Promote SOSFakeFlash

Increase the awareness of this site. Visit forums and websites in your country and post our url address and what we do. It increases the internet presence and awareness for the issue of fake flash memory items and the devious practice of reprogramming memory chips to lie about their true capacity. Especially needed is to increase the awareness in languages other than English. This is a global issue. Currently SOSFakeFlash as 71 countries on file.

Reference Reading Material

Testing Flash Memory Capacity

• H2testw 1.4 – Gold Standard In Detecting USB Counterfeit Drives
• Proving A Fake USB Flash Memory Pen Drive Stick Pen To Be False Capacity – A Visual Example – Guide Made Easy

Reparing Flash Memory

• FAQ
• Should You Repair A Fake USB Flash (Pen) Drive?

Warning Buyers

• How Contacting eBay Buyers OF Fake Memory Purchases Saves Others – A Victim’s Thank You!
• How To Warn Others On eBay As A Fake Flash Angel – Fight Back Against Fake MP Players, Memory Cards, USB Flash Drives – A Guide

About Flash Memory Chips

• Genuine Verses Fake Counterfeit USB Flash Drives – A Guide – USB Flash Chips Used In USB Flash Drives – Grades A B C D
• What Are The Real Costs For Flash Chips In China? Guide 2009
• 6 Continents eBay Fake MP Players – USB Pen Drives – Memory Cards – SOSFakeFlash
• How Can You Spot Fake Flash Memory Chips? What Is the Key Factor That Determines If MP3 MP4 Players, USB Flash Drives Or Memory Cards Are Fake Capacity?
• Flash Memory Prices Are Rising In 2009 – Up To 25% Since April 2009. Danger Of Grade C and D Being Used In False Capacity MP Players, USB Flash Drives And Memory Cards.
• SDRAM RAM Memory Chips Used In Fake Flash Capacity MP3 MP4 Players Sold On eBay?

Understanding EBay Fake Flash Memory Sellers

• fengfeng_joy2008 Fraud – Conversations between THH And Fake Flash Seller On Fake 32GB Memory Cards. Tale of Denial, Bribery And Violation Of eBay’s Feedback Policies
• Fake 8GB 16GB 32GB USB Flash Pendrives Drives On eBay YouTube Videos – A Buyer And A Seller Speak
• FAKE 16GB 32GB 64GB – Conversations Between A Fake Flash Seller and A Victim – The Truth About the Scam Exposed
• SharpEdge’s Communications With mememao9898 eBay Fake Flash Memory USB Penstick Seller

eBay And PayPal

• eBay Fake Flash Sellers Of MP Players – USB Flash Drives – Memory Cards – About Their IDs
• Did You Leave Positive Feedback For A Fake Flash Seller Of MP Players, Memory Cards Or USB Flash Drives Purchased On eBay?
• eBay Private Auction Listings – eBay Fake Flash Sellers Prefer – Victims Learn The Meaning The Hard Way – A Guide
• Beware of eBay Sellers Who Demand You Withdraw Negative feedback!
• Ebay & International Law – Listings And Transactions – Dealing With Counterfeit Fake USB Flash Drives, MP Players, Memory Cards
• United States – Canada – Australia – Europe: eBay Sellers Of Fake MP Players, Memory Cards, USB Flash Drives. Blind Pursuit Of Greed and The Get Rich Quick Scheme.
• PayPal How Long Do You Have To Claim For A Refund In Disputes? A Guide About PayPal From eBayer’s Experiences.

Current eBay Fake Flash Seller Lists

• eBay Fakes – Seller Lists